Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-02-14

The following account OF the Vie VI2hs
sensation in Richmond in December, 1854,
prepared by Mr. Charles J. Wise, vas read
by that gentleman at the last meeting Of
Lee Camp, Confederate Veterans, Of this
city
"There are few persons who had reached
the age of maturity, either as civilians or
who were IN the army and were either resi-
dents OF Richmond Or were compelled by
force of circumstances to visit that city, who
90 not remember the winter OF 1864 and
1863
"The weather was cold. dgeary and cheer
less frequent storIas Of rain, snow and sieet
tended to make The life OF soldier, either
in camp or in tie trenches, if possible moro
miserable and uncomfcrtable-the scarcity
of wood for fires, and the diminishing OF the
shortest Of Short rations, which had reached
a point that seemed TO be the lowest that
human life could be sustained anG TO say
thus far shalt thou so and no farther
Government money, or gray backs, as 1t was
faceticusly called was hardly worth the
paper on which it WAS printed, provisions
were even scsrcer than ever. and the pale,
9aunt and tamines;ricken faces told OF the
suffering Of the many. The Government
bad opened supply depots where rations
were regularly Issued, hat ID order 10 90 so.
the rations of the soldiers were decreased,
and from their stint the clamor5 of the peo-
pie were appeased.
:'Clothing, blankets, shoes and all that
was necessary to supply the army in the
field. could ONLY be obtained in small quanti-
ties, and were totally insufficient to meet one
tenth of the demand, and the result was as
expected, that the brave fellows, chilled by
the wintry blasts shooess, hatless, coaticss
and little to eet who 1ad WithsiooG the
temptation to desert, began to fill the hes
pitals, and then the graves that were
INCREASINGLY dug Amidst all this
gloom. disease and suffering, suddenly,
in December, 1861, there appeared
cu the dead walls, fences, payemeats IL dii-
ferent parts Of the city, and wherever the
space could be found upon which it could
te written, the words We vICTIs What
does it mean?' was the almost universe!
question Woe to the conquered was tue
reply. And who are the conqueIeGj aFe
ge 10 be conquered? All DO We nos $50
our soldiers as we'll as ourselves on lae
verge of starvation and in rags? Are not
the hos pitals full, and is not death reapiDS
his harvest fully beyond bis expectations
is not half the land in mourning and have
we not suffered enough already? What
other woes are IN store for us? No. we
vii, not be conquered The inscription had
such al effect upon the people, not only IN
Richmond, but in the entire South, that IL
naly the authorities interposed, and gen.
erai order was issued preventing theinscrlp.
tion and imposing severe penalty upon
any one who was detected Ia writing 1t, and
the provost guard were instructed TO etiace
the writing and keeps look out for the OF
fender. But no sooner had it been eifaced
in one part of the city than it appeared 10
another-the etters even larger. portentiors
In their meaning, mysterious IN their ap-
pearance, doubly significant iD their proph-
ecy. 1t remained staring passers by ia the
face ike q tird of evil omen. All efforts 10
Gnd the author, or even the originator OF
the mysterious words, borrowed from the
Romans. who inscribed it on the walls and
houses oftheir conquered towns, have utterly
failed even to this day, but the fact remains
the same, that DO reverse IN battle, or any
other calamity, save the death of Stonewall
Jackson, ever had tho same long continued
and depressing effect as "the handwriting
on the wall' on the minds and spirits OF the
people.
prophet? How did he know OF the insults,
indignities and dishoncr that would be
heaped upon the heads Of q people that had
proved themselves, at least, brave, and were
worthy OF better treatment? How did he
know that the conquered would be accused
oftreaohery and assassination, huniiated by
enforced association with their former
slaves, taxed without representation, ostra-
cised on account of former opinions, reviled
By u suborned press, caricatured in all man
ners AID ways, the women not even except
ed, and an enforced representation in State
and Congressional legislative halls 5y igno-
rant and designing negroes and carpet bag
gers and grand show of diseased and disa-
bled men taken from their own hospitals, %
representatives of Southern cruelty and
Southern treatment? But will not extend
the list, all of it, and more, is too familiar to
you.
tientiy the South has borne all of this
Proud, too proud, to deny all the base
calumnies, that have been echored and
repeated, each time even more vile and
base than before, folding her hands, dumb
" waiting, rs silent as the sphinx, know
ing that the day would come that would
prove the adage that ''truth is mighty and
will prevail.n We have indeed waited long
aud patiently. All was lost save honor and
that honor is now. and has been, ctr foun-
dation stone, and we rejoice that the super
structure is il keeping with it. though We
have built it ourselves.